Search: For - free trade agreement (FTA)

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The Chattogram-Ranong connect: Establishing direct shipping in the Bay of Bengal
Jun 05, 2024

The Chattogram-Ranong connect: Establishing direct shipping in the Bay of Bengal

The Bay of Bengal presents an opportunity for Bangladesh and Thailand to enhance bilateral trade through their shared maritime space, making a Chattog

A digital direction for BIMSTEC
Oct 05, 2017

A digital direction for BIMSTEC

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was formed to foster socio-economic cooperation between its seven member nations – India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The group signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in 2004, but the pact is still not operational due to the lack of consensus on certain key issues. Some members like India are keen to finalise the terms of t

BIMSTEC-FTA: A new hope for enhanced regional trade
Sep 19, 2017

BIMSTEC-FTA: A new hope for enhanced regional trade

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has gained more importance recently because of the many hurdles that have come in the way of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) since 2016, mainly due to issues between India and Pakistan. This brief explores the possibilities of stronger trade and investment ties between the BIMSTEC nations by expediting the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (F

China’s FTA with Mauritius: A Strategic Mix of Trade and Diplomacy
Nov 14, 2024

China’s FTA with Mauritius: A Strategic Mix of Trade and Diplomacy

In October 2019, China’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Mauritius opened the Chinese market to Mauritian exporters and investors. Not long after, concerns arose that Mauritius might be lacking in the capacity to benefit significantly from the agreement and thus lose in terms of a trade imbalance that clearly favours China. This brief revisits China’s motivations for the FTA, and finds economic and geopolitical goals. Given Mauritius’s smal

India Inc. in ASEAN: Reclaiming its receding footprint
May 23, 2023

India Inc. in ASEAN: Reclaiming its receding footprint

Has India’s free trade agreement with the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) spurred India Inc.’s globalising drive eastwards? This region, after all, has recently emerged as a major destination for investments from Japan – which is widening its options due to its conflicts with China – and the US, with its so-called ‘pivot to Asia’. India’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with ASEAN, which kicked off in January 20

New beginnings and old complexities in India-Maldives ties
Oct 10, 2024

New beginnings and old complexities in India-Maldives ties

The visit has been mutually beneficial, especially with the signing/renewal of MoUs, adapting the Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership vision, and India’s offer of financial assistance.